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Tools and tips to help families support reading at home.
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Share a love of reading while developing your child's skill and confidence as a reader.

Many parents today are unsure how to help their children learn, yet say they would be willing to spend more time on homework or other learning activities if they were given more guidance from teachers. (Source: Reading Rockets)

That's where we come in!  As teachers and parents ourselves, we are here to guide you in several simple steps to improve reading at home.

We provide the tools and the tips!

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Tools for Reading at Home:

Reading Logs:

 

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What is the CIA Approach?

Collect-Interpret-Apply

A simple way to teach readers how to read a book that begins with breaking the text into 4 quadrants.  Readers learn to read like detectives and uncover the message of the book.

 

Directions:

1. Divide the book into 4 quadrants.

Take the number of pages in the book and divide by four.

 

2. Mark the quadrants using sticky notes.

Put sticky notes at the end of each quadrant, adjusting, if needed, to reach the end of a chapter.

 

3. Read using a simple plan-of-action.

Collect critical information in quadrant 1.

Interpret the text in quadrants 2 & 3.

Apply the text to your life in quadrant 4.

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Create a cozy nook in your home for reading!

Read Side by Side and other experts join REDFIN to provide tips for creating a reading space in the home.

Learn More

How To Help Your Child With Skills

When reading together at home, creating a fun and safe and light-hearted routine is most important.  Encourage and support your child in developing the following key reading skills:

Read TO Your Child

Practice comprehension.
  1. Sit side by side.
  2. Hold the books so that both of you can read the page.
  3. Stop to talk about unknown words.
  4. Stop to talk about what is happening in the book and to make predictions.
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5 Tips for Reading Aloud with Children

Read WITH Your Child

Practice fluency.
  1. Sit side by side.
  2. Hold the book so that both can see the page.
  3. Point to the words as you read together.

There are different ways to read together.  You can:

CHORAL READ: Adult and child read together at the same time making their voices sound like one voice.

ECHO READ: Adult reads first, followed by the child who echoes the adult.

LISTEN to your child read

As your child reads, listen for the following:

  • Smooth reading,
  • Accurate reading; and 
  • Reading with expression.

If your child has difficulty reading a word:

  1. Point to the word.
  2. Read it to them.
  3. Encourage them to re-read the sentence using the new word.
  4. Listen to see if they are able to read the word the next time it appears in the text.

After reading:

Provide a compliment, a tip, and another compliment!

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